By Bob Strohm
bstrohm@wbcowqel.com
Historical figures from the county’s past came to life at Lowe-Volk Park over the weekend for the Crawford Park District’s annual Living History Days.
In its 14th year, the Living History Days event featured numerous people dressed as American, British, and Native American Revolutionary War re-enactors giving park visitors a glimpse of what life in a military encampment during that era was like. Crawford Park District Naturalist Josh Dyer explained the motive and philosophy behind the Living History Days.
“We had one of the last battles of the Revolutionary War happened right in Crawford County, so we celebrate that,” Dyer said. “Not to glorify the death of Col. Crawford, but his capture happened within a short distance of Lowe-Volk Park, so history is right here in Crawford County.”
While Living History Days did show what military and Native American encampments were like, the culmination of the event featured a re-enactment of Crawford’s capture. In the wooded area of Lowe-Volk Park near the Sandusky River, the re-enactment took place near the spot in which Crawford was said to have been captured. A monument commemorating the capture stands near the bridge on County Road 229 over Paramour Creek prior to it joining with Allen’s Run to form the Sandusky River. That monument is literally within a couple of hundred yards of Lowe-Volk Park.
Mark Cory, who portrayed Col. William Crawford, explained the importance of doing the re-enactment on the historical site.
“When you can actually re-enact on a site where an event took place of significance, re-enactors have this connection with the opportunity they have to be on site and it makes it more real,” Cory said.
With the Living Days occurring on June 4th and 5th this year, the reenactments also took place on the 234th anniversary of the Battle of Sandusky.
Chad Rank portray
ed one of the Shawnee tribesmen for Living History Days. Rank, who also participated in the Battle of Sandusky re-enactment, explained what inspired him to get into re-enactments.
“I have been re-enacting for close to 10 years now,” Rank said. “I had been into history growing up, and I had a real good history teacher, Mark Cory, who is here now. He got me more involved in it and that’s how it got started.”
Husband and wife David Keiser and Carolyn Crawford Keiser attended the event. Carolyn, who is related to Col. Crawford, explained her favorite aspect of the Living History Day.
“I thought it was wonderful,” Carolyn said. “I particularly enjoyed the bus trip.”
“I liked the Indian stories here, and I also enjoyed the bus ride,” David added.
After the re-enactment was finished a bus transported people to Battle Island, where the Battle of Sandusky took place, and to Col. Crawford’s gravesite in Wyandot County.